Ha-Ha, Holland
Posted on September 15, 2008
Filed Under Call us tourists |
Posted by Sierra
Comments Courtesy of Sierra
“Come to Holland, and have an Amsterdam good time!” Mom says commercials for Holland (aka the Netherlands) used to say this way back when she was a kid. Well, commercials may not say that anymore, but you can still say “Ha-ha!” to Holland and have an Amster-dam good time.
According to The Slow Travelers Guidebook, Holland has many interesting attractions, such as:
* Amsterdam (pictured above), in which there are several points of interest (see below). “I Heart Amsterdam!”
* Leiden, which is like a mini-Amsterdam. “Historic, but looks a little too much like Amsterdam for me.”
* Gouda, “Home of Gouda Cheese,” jokes the Curds ‘n’ Whey reporter. In fact, big rounds of cheese hang above the streets, a scent of gouda is all around the town, and you can’t walk two feet without tripping over a gouda cheese shop. “Heaven. Enough said.”
* Katwijk, a wonderfully quaint little seaside town. The Slow Travelers stayed in a very luxurious apartment, which was part of the Nicoletten Apartmenten. “Great big apartment, the seashore is pretty.”
* Giethoorn (Goat Horn), which is a quaint little town with a large network of canals. “Cool, especially the fact that the town centre is only accessible by boat, foot, or bike.”
* The Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Now a museum, it shows you the secret entrance to the “Het Achterhuis,” or “The House Behind,” as well as the house itself and the office building the House Behind is attached to. “Very, very moving, almost as moving as the book.”
* The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Housing The Milkmaid, The Night Watch, and other famous paintings, the Rijksmuseum is a work of art itself, being located in a small castle. “I liked it, the paintings were amazing, especially The Night Watch. The building is just as cool.”
* The tram, which is an excellent way to get around Amsterdam, as well as an excellent way to get to Amsterdam from nearby towns.” Moves very softly and quickly. The tracks it runs on are all over the place!”
* The Valk (Falcon) Windmill in Leiden. Inside there is a museum, as well as many ladder-like stairs that take you near the top. “Those steps take some getting used to.”
* 19 windmills along a canal in Kinderdijk. These were declared a World Heritage Site in 1997. “It rained most of the time we were there.”
So you see, there’s more to the Netherlands than just windmills and wooden shoes. And whether you’re gobbling cheese in Gouda, browsing paintings in Amsterdam, or brushing up on your Dutch, you’re sure to have a good time!
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